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Relay For Life 2011

Geocachers have proven, time and again, to be some of the nicest people - caring for the environment we geocache in and having a genuine concern for others around us. For the past three years we have had a team of Maine Geocachers at the Relay For Life event in Ellsworth and I'm hoping to do that again this June 3 and 4.

Relay For Life is the signature event for the American Cancer Society and it raises money for cancer research and direct programs for cancer patients. Do you know someone who has had cancer? I'll bet you do. A friend, relative, coworker.....you? Chances are very high that you have been affected by cancer in some way. Individuals get people to donate toward their "walk", and those same individuals form teams and see how much money the entire team can raise. By contacting friends, relatives, coworkers, etc. $200 is fairly easy for one person to raise and if ten people form a team that's $2,000!

Teams arrive on Friday afternoon, camp out overnight at our own camp site next to the track, and the event ends Saturday morning at 10:00am. Opening ceremony is at 6:00pm, there is a cancer survivor/caregiver lap, and a very moving "luminaria ceremony" at 10:00pm during which we celebrate those who have beaten cancer and remember those who have died from this terrible disease. Team members take turns walking around the track and there are events happening all night. People dress up for "theme hours" (1950's, cowboys, funny hats, etc.). It's a very fun event to participate in.

The "Maine Geocachers" have been a very successful team in years past and it's a way to gather as a group and give hope to those you know who have had cancer. We talk about caching and explain to anyone/everyone there what geocaching is all about. Hundreds of people participate in the 2-day upbeat event to fight cancer.

If you'd like to join in with other Maine Geocachers, raise money to fight cancer, camp out, and walk the track you can go to: www.relayforlife.org/hancockme. Click on "Join a Team" and look for Maine Geocachers. We'd love to have you!

Hopefully, Ralph and I will be there for the Survivor's Lap on Friday night and I will try to raise some $. Regretfully, this conflicts this year with another event put on my a Non-Profit whose Board of Directors I am a member of and I can not miss that event.

Wishing Maine Geocaching Team the best and I will sign up but can not enjoy a full night and morning with you as I have in the past!

Me too!

I'll be there again this year. Now, I've had some time to create a little fund raiser of my own. I'm knitting up dish "rags" out of cotton. They are quite popular and I'm thinking of asking for a $3-5 donation for them. Is that too steep? I've got quite a few done.

Additional Info

In the posts above you have heard from some of the great geocachers who have participated in Relay For Life and continue to do so. Last year in Ellsworth there were 35 teams, over 500 participants, and we raised over $102,000! The first time we topped $100,000. Yay! How remarkable is that?

Do you remember the singer/songwriter Dan Fogelberg? He died from cancer and his wife, Jean, walks in our Relay in Ellsworth. Last year, in all of the Relays across New England, we raised over $24 million!!! It's that big of an event.

Geocachers do what you do for a variety of reasons. But I hear over and over again that you love the outdoors, you love the fact that geocaching brings you to locations that you otherwise would not have known existed, and that your own quality of life has improved because of this sport.

Let's have that same experience happen for cancer survivors. Join our team and make a difference.

I've walked with Lee in the Old Town relay for several years and probably will this year as well. I can't remember why we missed seeing everyone in Ellsworth last year, but hopefully we can make it down at least to visit. We'll know more as time progresses.

This is great that you do this with us geocachers Dan. I always thought it was a great cause and after the past year I know why.

I just signed up for Relay for Life. So far we're a small, but mighty team. Come join in the fun! I'm selling cotton dish cloths as a fund raiser. I've had time on my hands since Jon has gone to Colorado to work. I'm asking $5 each and we can work out a way to get them to you. Unfortunately, it costs $1.39 (1) - $1.50 (2) to put them in the mail.